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Aviation History
2002
2002 - 1681.PDF
EBACE FRACTIONAL OWNERSHIP EBAA calls for harmony on safety Europe demands consistency with US rules as International Business Aviation Council releases code of best practice European fractional ownership safety rules must be harmonised with the USA's to create a "level playing field" and boost the sector's prospects in Europe, "according to European Business Aviation Assoc iation (EBAA) chairman Brian Humphries. The call comes as the Montreal, Canada-based International Busi ness Aviation Council (IBAC) rel eases its International Standards for Business Aviation Operations (1S-BAO) in a bid to initiate a code of best practice for the industry. Humphries says the fractional sector in Europe is lagging behind the USA, with only 40 aircraft oper ating compared with 700 across the Atlantic - or just over 5% of the total world fleet. "There needs to be some consistency in standards for fractional aircraft," he adds. "It all needs to be reviewed. I hope Europe will see what is happening in the USA and harmonise." Jack Olcott, president of EBAA's US counterpart, the National Bus iness Aircraft Association (NBAA), suggests the proposed sub-part "K" of Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) part 91 (so-called FAR-Frax) should be mirrored by a sub-part of the European Joint Aviation Author ities'JAR-Ops 2, expected this year. The USA is "experiencing incr eased levels of activity" with 90% of owners satisfied and intending to renew their contracts, says Olcott. The biggest growth is coming in the mid-size sector. Charter busi ness has also grown in the USA, especially after 11 September, with jet business up 20-25%, although turboprop and piston growth has been slower, he says. Olcott and Humphries are also frustrated at security measures imp osed on business aviation after the terrorist attacks. Humphries says pilots at his company, Shell Aircraft, who are sent for simulator training in the USA, are subject to tough back ground checks, although they are experienced and highly trained employees of a long-established business aviation operator. Olcott says security rules on bus iness aviation crew and passengers "should be different" to civil avia tion. "It's counterproductive to ap ply the same security standards to known passengers," he says. Meanwhile, IS-BAO release fol lows more than two years' work. It comprises two company operations manuals - one compatible with FARs, the other with JARs. The IBAC hopes its code will be adopted by corporate operations worldwide and its principles incor porated in JAR-OPS 2 under discus sion in Europe. IBAC, the umbrella organisation for nine worldwide trade/associa tions, including the EBAA and the NBAA, says IS-BAO is a code of best practice developed by the industry for the industry. CERTIFICATION w i- r% • ii i \- ** i i w 1^ JAA to approve Gulfstream V by year-end, company predicts Gulfstream's long wait for European Joint Aviation Authorities validation of its GV business jet may be close to a conclusion, with president Bill Boisture predicting JAA approval by year-end. Final test data was submit ted to the JAA late last month, he says. The large cabin business jet was certificated by*the US Federal Aviation Administration in 1995, but subjected to more rigorous testing in Europe after Gulfstream's decision not to run the certification testing in parallel with the FAA. Sources say the aircraft had difficulty meeting the JAA's gust regulations. Boisture says a post-production modification of load brackets on three wing ribs, required for the first 10 aircraft, will be completed by mid-June. Despite the lack of JAA approval, there are 12 GVs operating in Europe. ORDERS Dassault Falcon 7X 2006-07 delivery slot sale nears completion Dassault Aviation is close to selling its delivery slots for the Falcon 7X, its newest generation business jet, for the first two years of produc tion, with deliveries due to start in 2006, says Jean Rosanvallon, Das sault Falcon Jet president. The manufacturer is only taking new orders for 2008 after convert ing enough of the 41 letters of int ent announced at last year's Paris air show to firm orders for the first two years of production. The com pany expects to produce more than 15 aircraft annually in 2006-07. "This aircraft, which is still vir tual, is proving a great success and has made our new aircraft business more active than our used aircraft, which is a totally new trend," says Rosanvallon. Most 7X orders, he says, are in the USA, "but Europe is also very strong, and there has been a great deal of activity from Brazil and Mexico", he adds. The 7X, formerly the FNX, is designed to compete against Gulf stream's GV and Bombardier's Global Express. It has attracted "very loyal" existing Falcon cus tomers, he says. The initial 41 cus tomers will pay $37.5 million for the tri-jet, after which the price is expected to be around $40 million. The 7X "is 50% more expensive than the [Falcon] 2000EX, but has a cabin which is 50% bigger, and will enable customers to fly non stop from Paris to Los Angeles, for example", Rosanvallon says. The 7X, due to fly in 2005, will have a 10,500km (5,700nm) range, a fly-by-wire systems and be pow ered by three Pratt & Whitney PW307As. Rosanvallon says Das sault hopes to sell at least 500 by 2026. "Anything less than 200 will be considered a failure," he says. Meanwhile, the Falcon 2000EX has flown 180h since its first flight in October and has completed extreme weather tests. Deliveries are due from the second quarter of 2003, says vice-chairman Bruno Revellin-Falcor. Dassault is striving to bolster product support, an area it says it has neglected. Earlier this year, it launched four products aimed at European Falcon operators. www.flightinternational.com FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 4-10 JUNE 2002 23
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